While putting together last week’s Interior Obsessions post about lamps, I felt myself drawn to a group of images with one thing in common – their absolute lack of color. Cloudy skies had been the norm in our area, and these interior shots fit right in. But the stunning thing about these colorless vignettes was that not only did they not look lifeless, but they were full of tone and texture, creating a calm environment within which life could play the colorful part. Although this week’s sunny skies have brought about cheerier moods, those grey images stuck with me.

Grey interiors are often mitigated by bits of black and white, allowing a full tonal range within such a limited palette. Like many of the brighter colors, the variation within shades of grey is virtually limitless. Grey floors or walls offer a muted backdrop for other neutral items, but can be either light and relaxed or dark and deep. Metal and mirror finishes can add easily to the tonal range while including a difference in finish that draws the eye into the scene. Although grey on its own can be quite relaxing, it also serves as a lovely backdrop for popular brights such as yellows, oranges, blues and greens, as well as an amazing foil for natural wood finishes. There is ultimately something soothing about a monochromatic interior, especially when the designer plays with a range of textural finishes to differentiate each item.

Is it Gina? That’s awesome. We’ve had a (very) dark grey wall in our dining room before. We eventually painted over it with a lighter grey. But I do use grey accents quite a bit now that I think about it, and our couch is grey, and our “focal” chair in the living room is grey…Hmmm, I guess I love grey in my interior as well. And before now, I hadn’t really even thought about it. Funny.
-Brittni

“..makes the wall look even more substantial.” I totally agree with you Amy. That was actually almost the exact color our dining room was painted, before we repainted the lighter grey color. But my husband loved it.
-Brittni